Turkey
by Ayumu Foxtail-chan
Summary: Ryuuji decides to throw a traditional American Thanksgiving and Taiga decides that maybe she's found an animal that fits Ami better than a Chihuahua.


**Hello there! Just a short little fun little thing. XD Silly, that is.  
This takes place some time near the beginning of the anime since y'know, Taiga and Ami are still at each other's throats. Heh.  
**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

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**_Turkey_**

"Alright here we go!" Ryuuji stumbled slightly, trying his best to walk in a straight line despite the heavy tray in his hands. He'd decided to cook the biggest bird he could find; he must've done a good job because it was… _heavy. _

He could nearly feel the excitement in the air as he finally made it to the table, clanking the tray down in the middle. Everyone leaned forward, forks and spoons –which were quite foreign to them- clenched in fists of anticipation.

Ryuuji had originally thought it a good and fun idea to invite all of Taiga and his' friends over to celebrate an American Thanksgiving. He thought it'd bring them all a little closer as they experienced something new together, but as they all began to show up, he began to doubt it.

Minori was of course her normal hyper self and he swore she hadn't taken a single breath since stepping foot into his apartment, talking more and faster than he thought humanly possible. Ami had sauntered in, flirtatious as always, and immediately gotten into a growling match with Taiga. Kitamura seemed to be the only sane one in the group as he smiled and watched the shenanigans take place as Ryuuji struggled with the nearly thirty pound turkey, pushing with all of his might to get it in and out of the oven.

Somehow he'd managed to finally cook the thing, and as he plopped down with a sigh, again hoped that this would be a good idea.

"It's _huge!" _Minori gasped, leaning one eye closer to the cooked bird as if she was skeptical it was even dead.

Taiga was practically drooling on the table and Ryuuji barely had time to stop her from tackling it so he could speak up. "O-okay," he said, holding Taiga back by her arms as she squirmed and called him names. It seemed she was always hungry; he was having a hard time keeping up. "As far as I know Ami's the only one who's celebrated Thanksgiving, right?"

Taiga relaxed with a humph and crossed her arms. Ryuuji was met with nods and continued.

"Alright, so, apparently on the last Thursday of November, Americans celebrate Thanksgiving which honors when Christopher Columbus first landed in North America and had a big feast with the native Indians living there. That's why they eat so much on Thanksgiving, especially turkey. At least that's what I'd read, anyway." _Leave it to Americans to celebrate a feast with a feast, _he chuckled internally.

Taiga nodded and held up her hands, somehow having gotten a fork in each, although Ryuuji couldn't tell whose she'd stolen. "Itadakimasu!" she quite nearly shouted, diving forward and ripping off a leg to the turkey. Ryuuji sighed; there was no way he could've stopped that. She ate as ferociously as her namesake.

"Anyway," he continued. "Another tradition is to go around the table before the eating starts and to say something you're thankful for." Everyone nodded their understanding and Ryuuji cleared his throat. "Okay, I'll go first. I'm thankful for… Taiga." He smiled as she ceased her eating. He'd been about to say Minori, but still couldn't muster up the courage to say anything sweet about her. He blushed at the thought. "I think things around here would be pretty boring without her. Plus, what fun is cooking without someone excited to eat it?"

Taiga shrugged before taking another bite out of the leg.

"I'm also thankful for Taiga!" Minori added with a laugh. "She's pretty great, huh?" With another more forced laugh Minori slowly reached forward and snapped off the other leg to the turkey, her eyes shifting around suspiciously as if she was convinced no one would see her if she moved slowly enough. Pretty soon the room was filled with more chomps and slurps than thanks-givings.

"Oh," Taiga mumbled. "I'm thankful for…" She chewed in thought for a moment before shaking her head. "I don't really know what to say…" Her eyes then narrowed considerably and she let out a sneaky snicker. "I'm grateful for Ami's big mouth; it's annoying, but fun to make fun of, Stupid Chihuahua."

Ami immediately scrunched her nose at Taiga before turning it up into the air.

"Wait…" Taiga slowly looked down at the mammoth leg in her hands, her eyes alighting. "Nope. I think you're a Stupid Turkey now. It fits you better." She nodded with a grin before tearing off another piece.

Ami snarled at the mention and Kitamura chuckled uncomfortably, holding up his hands to try and stop her from retaliating. "And why's that?" she snapped.

Taiga pointed at the beheaded turkey. "They're so loud, always squawking and clucking and puffing out their chests." She grinned as Ami's face turned slowly more and more heated. "They're a spitting image of you, Stupid Turkey!" She nodded. "Has a nice ring to it."

Ryuuji wasn't sure if that was when it all went awry, or if perhaps it'd all gone downhill since they'd stepped through the threshold. Next thing he knew a flap of turkey skin had been thrown across the table and into Taiga's face. Ami denied it although everyone knew it'd been her. Taiga's wooden sword came out a moment later and before he knew it, it seemed everyone had gotten into a food fight.

He sat in the middle of it all as some –Taiga and Ami- yelled at each other, trying their best to "mess up" the other's face, as some –Kitamura and Minori- laughed and made the best of the already botched dinner, and as some –Inko-chan that is- cried in the background in horror as he spotted a plucked companion on the table and feared for his own life.

Ryuuji just couldn't have nice things, could he? At least not while he hung around with this crowd. He smiled; not that he'd have it any other way.

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_The A-Maze-Ing Race Challenge- prompt: turkey_

**This is why we can't have nice things. XD What'd ya think? I hope they weren't too OOC, it's been a long while since I watched this anime.  
I hope you liked it!  
No romance in this? Woah, I think that's a first for me. XD  
**

**~Foxtail-chan**


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